New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-07
srlrx DENIED HS8 RIGHTS.

r. VIZ could imagine the State OF New
Hampshire suddenly cut of from representa-
ton In Congress, its people deprived OF proper
court facilities and subj cted to heavy taxa
ton and enormous inconvenience because
of this exclusion, we could easily understand
that this was hardship and injustice which
ought TO be remcdied at once. But in Dakota
we have State fifteen times as largo IA New
Hampshire, with population nearly twice as
great-a rich young commonwealth growing
so fast that the statistics of her wealth ana
progress are. ont of date before they can get
into print-which is suffering and has been
suffering for years from an exclusion quite
as unjust as that would be. 1t is true that IL
il not proposed to admit the whole OF this vast
Territory as one State. But even South
Dakota, whose admission has been repeatedly
urged upon Congress, leaving North Dakota
as a Territory to be renamed Lincoln.
has a population nearly as great as that oil
New-Hampshire, and in all ways fulfils super
abundantly all the requirements OF Statehood
1t is fact demonstrated by the figures that
not since Vermont began the procession OF
new States into the Union in 1871 has one
come forward for admission with so strong
a claim as South Dakota. 1t has larger
population than two of the original thirteen
States Delaware and Rhode lsland-iarger,
also, than that of Florida, Oregon, Nevada or
Colorado. It has more than double the popula-
ton fixed by law as the unit OF representa-
ton in Congress, and three times the average
population with which Territories have
been admitted as States. The adj
dress made by Mr.. Campbell yesterday,
a summary of which we print on another page,
shows what hardships the people of all Dakota
are subjected to by reason of the failure Oh
Congress 10 divide it and admit the lower
half. They So not ask admission as matter
of sentiment and local pride, but for the most
practical reasons. The capital is so far re-
moved from the bulk of the population that
they do not know what laws the Legislature
is passing, and when they can catch Judge
at all it is only, as he says, "likc prairie
chicken on the wing"
To put the whole matter in single word
the persistent exclusion OF South Dakota is
n scandal. 1t has been shut out thus far by the
Democratic House of Representatives because
the majority fear and believe it would prove
itself Republican State. The last time the
question was before Congress the Democratic
leaders hid this partisan reason under the
fiimsiest excuse that ever party rcsortcd to.
Ex-Confcdclatcs charged that the people Of
South Dakota had been guilty OF "revolu-
tionary' conduct in attempting to form
State Government without the preliminary
of an enabling act by Congress. entirely ignor-
ing the fact that almost one-half of the States
admitted since the Union was formed have
come in without such acts, andthat three oil
them not only set up State Governments OF
their own, but thrust aside the Territorial
Governments. No doubt there will be some
other pretext found when the question comes
up before Congress this winter. The door has
already been slammed in Dakota's face on the
eve of Presidential election on the ground
that that was not the proper time to admit
new States, and if the still greater claims she
is able TO present now are recognized
by the Democratic House we shall be agree
ably surprised. 1t may be that after time
South Dakota will grow so great that the
party will be ashamed to keep the door barred
any longer, but. the best way to insure her
getting in will be to make the next House
Rpnublicau